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Languages
Whymsia has many languages, though with as much trade as there is just about any two people in the world can find some language they have in common. Below are the most well known languages in the world. *'Common,' formally known as “Trade Mundanian,” is reasonably well known around the world, though the farther you get from major ports the less likely people are going to be able to speak it fluently. *'Draconic' is the language of magic, either because the dragons first taught magic or, more likely, because it sounds really impressive. Only the dragons actually use it as a language, however, so it's not too useful for normal communication. *''Racial languages exist, often as the ''lingua franca of the race's home region. In other places they're often maintained, though mixed with the local languages. *'Mageria' **''Mundanian:'' The major language of Greater Mundania, the region surrounding Nexus. **''Turabic:'' The language of the regions along the east of the Great Desert. **''Kowartic:'' The most common language along the west coast of Mageria. Has eighteen different conjugations for "surrender." **''Snooteeze:'' A specialty trade language promulgated by some of the guilds. Though not truly a secret language, it’s still meant to keep mere “common folk” from understanding secrets. **''Bjornish:'' The language common around the Fringe. **''Elven:'' The language of the Elven Freeholds, for obvious reasons. *'Wu-Shan' **''High Wushanese'': The language of the courts and government. Exceedingly showy and flowery, it can take several minutes to exchange simple greetings. (“As the falling of cherry blossoms in the spring, the Lord Vizier expresses his condolences that he was unable to attend the illustrious and golden…” etc etc) **''Middle Wushanese:'' The language of tradespeople, townsfolk, and most commoners. Shorter and more practical than high wushanese, but still with the air of formal politeness. **''Low Wushanese:'' The language of sailors, dockworkers, prostitutes, and anyone who’s ever stubbed their toe. Low wushanese was specifically created as a repository for all the crass, crude, impolite, unhealthy, and otherwise uncivilized discourse that was anciently and intentionally removed from High and Middle Wushanese. It is an extremely colorful language, and some say it is the best in the world for truly cursing someone out. **''Spiritspeak:'' A secret language closely guarded by the priests and forbidden to outsiders, meaning that one out of every three Wushanese peasants knows a bit of it, while several thieves guilds teach entire courses in its nuances and subtlety. Theoretically for communing with the spirits and gods, it mostly gets used when two priests want to talk without someone else understanding. (eg, “By the thousand eyes of heaven, that man so stinketh he must hath been sleeping with the pigs.”) *'Emberglow' **''Alchemese:'' Not so much a language as a highly advanced jargon, Alchemese is used to talk about alchemy, thaumatic artifice, and other advanced pursuits. **''Dwarven:'' The major language of Emberglow, seeing as dwarves as the major race. And no, they don't need any other languages, thank you very much. *'Kratos ' **''Ulfarrish:'' The language of the Halfling nomads, famous for having thirty-seven different words for "danger," fourteen for "look out!", and sixty-eight for "certain death." Kratos is not a friendly continent. **Other languages presumably exist scattered throughout the continent, but they’re in such small pockets that few outsiders ever hear of them, let alone have a chance to learn them. (There’s a reason most visitors come equipped with comprehend languages and/or tongues.) *'Sparron' **''Arrbish:'' The pidgin language of pirates, sqashbucklers, raiders, and others of Sparron. Heavy on “arr” sounds. **''Gnomish:'' Just as common as Arrbish, but don't let the local gnomes catch you speaking it unless you're talking to them. They take poorly to “big oafs” mutilating their language, and particularly like correcting you by removing your tongue through your back. ---- Main | Setting | Geography